Are Digital Screens Actually Bad For Kids?

[@1siseneg]

Just don't forget that correlation doesn't always equal cause! There might be correlation between ill-being and increased screen time because ill-being often drives people to escapism as a coping mechanism

[@chayimadinaandyael]

1siseneg that sounds totally logical! I know that I do it when I feel down sometimes

[@Ikajo]

chayimadinaandyael It is not only logical but quite true. We humans tend to use coping mechanisms in many situations we find stressful or heavy. Using screens is really no different from escaping into a book or losing yourself to music, an artist or whatever it is that allows you to escape. Even exercise can be a coping mechanism. Like they are trying to literally run from their troubles.

[@catherinevo6060]

1siseneg seems true

[@mrsuperguy2073]

Yeah I was thinking that too. Also seems more likely to me than too much screen time actually causes "ill-being". I was gonan post a comment asking how they know the direction of causaility and that there actually is any to begin with but seems you beat me to it.

[@minecraftminertime]

Children under the age of 5 usually don't escape to virtual screens when they're sad. Those children are learning about the world. In this case, learning in a virtual environment can cause children to later be more attached to the virtual environment and less attached to the real world. So in this case, there is a causation. I hate that "correlation does not equal causation" is said so often, even when there is obviously a causation.

[@Seraph.G]

I would wager that teenagers with those problems are more likely to use technology a lot, not that using technology a lot causes those problems.

[@AndreiTache]

Maybe it’s a case of both being true; “ill-being” teens are more likley to use technology, and they devote more time to it and not to their well-being.

[@DasEine]

well, on the basis of published research up to 2018 it is still unclear. There is a correlation but if you do the logical conclusions right, you can't really find causality. More knowledge to come with proper experimental design and preregistered statsitics.

[@cassieoz1702]

... but the incidence of anxiety and depression in adolescence is rising. Correlation MAY indicate causation. It tells us where we need more critical study

[@levi12howell]

I agree there are issues with too much technology. It seems people in my age group feel uncomfortable socializing in real life vs online. Something doesn’t translate between online and face to face social interaction. I see many cases of extreme anxiety when it comes down to meeting a person you’ve only interacted with online. Even though you’ve talked to a person for months or even years they’ll feel so anxious about the real life encounter they’ll often avoid it

[@RisqueBisquet]

I know this one girl in her early teens - her parents *heavily* moderate screen time for her. Maybe an hour a day or so. It honestly worries me because the world runs on technology. Socially, professionally, it's important to have an intuitive understanding of how technology works, and she just isn't getting that. If you raise a kid like it's the 1970s, they're gonna be built for the 1970s.

[@LetsPlayCrazy]

I disagree... Getting to know technology is something completly different from actually reveling and growing up on the internet/in front of the screen. When you mean "early teen" i go even as far as 12. I feel like its unnecessary for your child to have a smartphone before the age of ~10 and after that only heavily moderated (like whatsapp for friends) There is a HUGE difference between moderating and not using it at all!

[@cheaterman49]

I opened my first BASIC book at 10 and am now a programmer. I think your story is dramatic.

[@SayHelloHelli]

Nah I get you. I didn’t get an internet connection until I was 19 and paid for it myself. Until then, I had to take the bus to the library if I wanted to use the internet. I’m miles behind the rest of my peers. I’m so confused by computers. I basically know how to use KZbin and Microsoft word. I had to type in excel once for a job and it was like a a foreign language. I was so lost.

[@minecraftminertime]

Teenagers are different than children that are less than 5 years old. Teenagers probably won't lose knowledge of physical concepts if they use electronic devices, but children that are less than 5 years old might not learn physical concepts if they use electronic devices more than learning in a physical environment.

[@beth8775]

The video and the research mentioned is about young children and how they develop. An early teen is going to be a lot different. I agree that it sounds like her parents are being excessive. At that age monitoring content is more important. I mean rules like you need to finish your homework and chores first are still reasonable, but yeah...

[@bohdan_lvov]

Under age of two? I believe I ate sand and gravel up to age of five.

[@NaihanchinKempo]

No wonder you have bad teeffs

[@MrTej780]

You don't still eat sand and gravel? Just me then...

[@kingpotato7183]

i remember one time when i was 3 and curious i ate a pinch of sand, it tasted like nothing but i really liked the crunch but then i thought that it was probably bad for you because i didn't see anyone else eat it

[@damagecontrol7]

how's your immune system currently? ehhhhh? ehhh? :)

[@NessaWyvern]

I was never one of those dirt eaters, because I absolutely haaaated that crunch **shudders** >.> And I have asthma and hayfever, and I'm allergic to fluffy animals, dust and pollen :< grass also gives me a rash.

[@DSfan81]

My family didn't get a computer until I was about 7, and when we did, I really appreciate how my parents used them. Video games were a social tool, e.g. my dad and I would work through tricky puzzles together, or, if I got a new game, I'd have friends over and we'd compete on scores and times. Both experiences were enriching and taught me useful social skills like empathy and communication.

[@theMoporter]

The mental health correlation is very flawed. I used the internet more because I didn't have friends, not the other way around. Other disabled people I know use "screens" more when their illnesses are causing them pain/fatigue, does that mean"screens" are causing them to have fibromyalgia or gut bacteria imbalances? Not to mention that parents already believe technology is destroying their kids, which will bias the results.

[@Spikeygal]

It's not flawed - correlation can be a useful tool, and the study sounds fine. You're right though, ideally there'd be more research using a kind of predictive analysis. Not sure if that's possible in the circumstances, though.

[@terryh.9238]

"correlation not causation", something oft repeated on sci show.

[@Ikajo]

Coping mechanism. Something that is meant to distract yourself from whatever is hurting you. Sometimes intended to make the reward system go off because you can't find happiness any other way. People tackle such things differently. Even physical activity can be pushed to the extreme. And the classic book Don Qichote was about the dangers to lose yourself to the fantasies in books. Soo....

[@No-hf1xq]

Yeah, but coping mechanisms aren't always as effective as people using them think, just look at alcoholism. I'm not saying that kids shouldn't be allowed in front of a computer or anything, hell I've been gaming since 8, but there needs to be a variety of how they spend their free time.

[@Ikajo]

Gergely Abádi I never said that a coping mechanism is automatically good. Only that they are commonly used. I have a tendency to go for sugar as my coping mechanism, combined with watching something. Not very healthy either.

[@amandaleblanc5904]

How is this the first episode I've seen with this presenter? She's fantastic! Please host more episodes of SciShow!

[@IcyPandaGirl]

i had to entertain myself with computers since i was 3-4 years old, i'm 20 and have pretty severe depression from the lack of interaction with real people and events. i say i "had" to because i was confined to a wheelchair for a good 6 months of my developing childhood and it set me back a bit. i never learned to ride a bike or run fast, and i still have pretty bad physical coordination. hell, i didn't learn how to tie shoes until i was 17, and didn't walk down stairs properly until i was 13. growing up on the computer set off my social development too. i was diagnosed with autism in middle school but quickly grew out of it as i learned to talk to people and matured. i still don't have friends since i never socialized with anyone in elementary school and that kinda stuck. i don't identify with the symptoms of autism at all anymore as obviously i'm not the same person i was when i was 12, but i still have pretty bad social anxiety from associating social interaction with harsh punishment over what i should and shouldn't say. i never learned those rules naturally because they don't really apply on the internet.

[@busystudying6711]

You should do a video on trichotillomania. It would really inform people

[@gawayne1374]

It's not just children, grandparents have the same problem with virtual buttons....

[@MissPlaced84]

The idea that more screen time = more "ill-being" seems backwards to me. When you have behavioural issues, social deficits, jerks in your face at school, etc etc, socializing online is "safer" because of: a) the anonymity b) the ability to look at what you're about to say and edit it before you say (send) it c) the ability to just not exist in that space if it feels toxic d) the ability to take it and leave it as your mood/energy desires It'd be valuable to see *how* teens use technology differently while comparing their ill/well being before making any (even very noncommittal) judgements. Are the more well being teens using Facebook to connect with IRL friends and doing homework? Are those that are struggling are finding new friends, building themselves a support system, using it as an escape from the difficulties at school/home? It's destructive to implicate something as an unhealthy problem when it could very well be a healthy solution. (As much as you said the research is new and all, some parents just heard a "scientist" tell them "computers are the reason teenagers are [all of the normal teen things parents don't get]".)

[@Master_Therion]

Which is more important, limiting screen-time or screening screen-time?

[@_JayRamsey_]

Good point. The latter, definitely. I'd say having an adult nearby to discuss concepts on the screen for a few hours a day is better than limiting to an hour or two of using the screen as a babysitter. It all comes down to maximising human interaction and learning, regardless of the activity, IMHO

[@Master_Therion]

Jay Ramsey Agreed. Well said.

[@_JayRamsey_]

Gracias. Perhaps there's hope for the human race, yeah?

[@feynstein1004]

Eh could've been better.

[@firefoxwaffles5357]

I hate seeing parents hand their todders smartphones so they don't have to pay attention to them. Even ignoring all this research, pay attention to your kid. Using technology to babysit your kid is irresponsible parenting.

[@minecraftminertime]

That doesn't make sense. Even after using smartphones, toddlers usually still pay attention to themselves. Smartphones don't make toddlers pay less attention to themselves. Why would parents even try to make toddlers not pay attention to themselves? If the toddler pays attention to themselves, the parent doesn't have to do as much work with the kid. I think you're wrong and your assumptions are wrong.

[@gorepuppy]

Much worse than than Fisher Price toys with buttons and BS to keep young ones distracted, or even plush animals. Oh wait is is the same thing. Folks been doing that same thing for a long time now. The trillion dollar industry of childhood toys? The hell is the difference to a toddler? A toy is = smartphone to a toddler. Good because it will be a toy for quite a bit of their life, they can get used to it.

[@dstinnettmusic]

I would say there is a difference between what I would called “active” screen time and “passive” screen time once they get to the appropriate age. Active activities like puzzles and games seem fine, at least for my daughter, while I try to limit her time just watching things. My two year old is always complimented for how outgoing she is and how well she speaks. I know I’m just one example, but psychology relies on case studies to form a consensus right? So just a data point to consider

[@minecraftminertime]

Actually, the video implied that even "active" screen time may not be developmentally well for children. You said that puzzles and games are fine on virtual screens, but they may actually not be as good. Puzzles done in physical environments have physical puzzle pieces where children have to physically try to shape the piece to the puzzle. Virtual puzzles usually have children slide their finger on a puzzle piece to an empty space, and the virtual puzzle piece usually corrects itself if it's a centimeter off from the hole. Children will have a real understanding of puzzles and puzzle pieces if they physically feel them and put them into place. That's just one example.

[@dstinnettmusic]

MischievousMoo well, my personal experience with a real physical child contradicts what you said. And the video makes very clear that more research is needed.

[@vee7693]

My little 4yr old sister knows how to enter her favourite app on our tablet When I was four I used to eat mud

[@alessandraduffie3543]

I wish the study on screen time and mental health had also accounted for why they were using electronics. As a person who has been bullied and introvert, I grew up using a mix of books and video games to avoid negative situations and to give myself something to do that could be done alone. And I'm sure I'm not the only case. This variable could have possibly altered the results of the study.

[@sage5296]

Correlation doesn’t imply causation tho. It could be that ppl with mental health issues just find online interaction more appealing than irl interaction for example, among other things

[@SethMacMillan]

In regards to that button study, was it established the infants have the ability to transfer such knowledge at that age? It seems kind of like a matter of problem solving, which develops later in life.

[@snoopl2898]

Pshha... Disney taught me that Love is more important than logic, reason or food. I'll be just fine (as long as someone loves me).

[@kimmi1031]

I know plenty of people who use tv as a "baby sitter" and plop the kid in front of the tv for hours so they can have alone time or just to ignore their kids.Maybe its more on the parents unwillingness to do things with the kids then the tv itself. Parents should want to do stuff with their kids instead of letting the kid watch 8 hours of tv.

[@daphnie816]

So in the baby button experiment, did they also have a control group that didnt see any buttons pushed? Or one that saw both pushed? How did they do? Experiment results not necessarily valid unless there were control groups. Perhaps the best way of learning nowadays is to interact with both so they understand the difference and know theres two kinds of interactive "worlds".

[@owlsandrainbownerds]

it was mentioned that both the physical and virtual demonstration effected the infants more when it came to pushing either button than having no demonstration at all, which was the control

[@amberlamere730]

I disagree with their experiment. The child still saw a physical person push a button. The experiment should have been a real person/real button and a virtual person/virtual button. Would the child watching someone on a screen push a button be likely to push a virtual or real button?

[@minecraftminertime]

daphnie816 and 21 people who liked their comment are examples of why you shouldn't comment before you're done watching the video. At 2:10, the narrator says that there was a control group.

[@owlsandrainbownerds]

that would be an interesting experiment as well but I think that would change what was being explored. The experiment done was exploring if by observing actions done on screens could translate to replicating the same actions with physical objects. your suggestion would instead be asking if how a child behaves when watching virtual objects interact vs physical objects interact changes, and how that effects how they interact with the virtual and physical objects, if that makes sense.

[@melonlord1414]

I think it's probably best if they see both.

[@chloecharbonneau4307]

I've been studying child development for the past 3 years and there are MUCH BETTER research results that show screen time and developmental delays in children, both cognitively and socially. Although it is still newer research several of them have been replicated with the use of several research and control groups. Its still a limited pool of information, but should still be considered when making decisions.

[@OlSmokey304]

I wonder what the results would be with interactive media

[@Franklin-uf2vy]

I'm a bit confused about the conclusion given the data. If kids learn best on how to do things based on how they are taught (they know how to use technology better if they use technology, learn how to press a real button if someone demonstrates someone pressing a button in real life), AND the ubiquity of technology is ever accelerating, wouldn't kids be "wasting" their time learning how to do things in "real" life as opposed to digitally? Surely if the future has digital buttons on elevators and holodeck classrooms and conference rooms, isn't it better to have our children focus their time adapting to technology?

[@FutureAgentGirl]

I don't turn on Sesame Street for the educational value. I do it so I can go pee alone. #momlife

[@keelyriggs1097]

Who here's a Nerdfighter?

[@jodinha4225]

Pony Riggs +

[@Master_Therion]

DFTBA ^_^

[@anna-jaco7529]

DFTBA

[@nyer]

I found a news about a kid in the Philippines that just broke his mind, he cant eat, he'd cry and get mad without a computer, and so on, Incuded in it is another kid that had seizures that was later connected to lack of sleep

[@Ikajo]

Sometimes I wonder what's the chicken and what's the egg in cases like this. Is screens the cause of mental health issues or is mental health issues the reason why people start spending more time on their devices. Back in the day people with mental health issues could slouch in the sofa all day watching TV. And every new media has been accused of causing aggression. So have they compared screens to other media?

[@metalsnakezero]

I think it important to balance screen time and physical activities.

[@david-pr3on]

metalsnakezero I think it important also balancing Grammer and things also.

[@myrlewulf6256]

MineMuppetsBro You misspelled "grammar."

[@myrlewulf6256]

Jan Celin Oh I see, haha

[@ryandaley1402]

I know a lot of 20 somethings who need to physically explore the world and learn how to interact with people offline.

[@MaryJMajesty]

1:43 Holy cow that scared me. I did not anticipate a sudden noise.

[@dylanblade5459]

As a teacher in Australia myself, I find that kids (at least the ones I teach), are both physically and technologically illiterate. They know how to use facebook or snap chat, but give them something new, they don't even know where to start. I feel that some people aren't given enough breadth of learning opportunities. Edit : I'll validate date this saying the kids I teach are generally from low socio economic backgrounds, not middle/upper class.

[@Xapper0]

As an 18 year old growing up in Northern Ireland, Ican say it's basically the same thing over here. Thank you for investing your time in teaching, though!

[@minecraftminertime]

I think you mean that they're physically illiterate, but they know how to use FaceBook or SnapChat either because they're technologically literate or because FaceBook and SnapChat are easy to use and it's easy to learn how to use them.

[@dylanblade5459]

MischievousMoo you can go by that logic to a degree, but I have 12yr old kids who struggle to find keys on a keyboard, type something written on the board, or open up an application which is not on the desktop.

[@Lilliaace]

Young kids have super short attention span though. Playing one episode of my Little pony isn't going to hurt or inhibit my young niece. It's about moderation. I was born in 1994, when the technology revolution was on us. Sure, I played a computer game or two or played on my Gameboy color, but I got bored and did something else

[@amberlamere730]

This is exactly what I have been saying! However, I disagree with their experiment. The child still saw a physical parent push a button. The experiment should have been a real person/real button and a virtual person/virtual button. Would the child watching someone on a screen push a button be likely to push a virtual or real button?

[@sooooooooDark]

4:08 ppl who do want to escape from shitty life stuff go infront of their pc its not the pc that causes the shittyness (okay well...it doesnt fix it neither tho..and maybe thats why it becomes worse over time who knows)

[@OakenTome]

sooooooooDark It can really help. It gives them an escape and a break from all the IRl nonsense (mostly).

[@sooooooooDark]

yea what i meant was: pc isnt the thing doing the harm - there was harm done before and ppl find a nice rest in the pc world ...and then they check these ppl and say "uhmagawd hes so psychologically ill" but the harm was what caused him to do the escapism

[@edwardgeist2918]

> _They can't touch, smell, taste, or feel the weight of stuff if it's virtual_ Sure, not _yet_ ...But give it time.

[@jillfanning749]

Me: Yeah... I’m a teen watching this lol. Also, 2?! I wasn’t even talking until 3.

[@zerophoenix6758]

I don't think they psychological issues, behavioral problems, attention issues and poor physical health in teenagers are coming as a result of too much screen time but as a too much screen time is a consequence of pre-existing issues

[@AnonymousUser77254]

Knew it, we should switch back to analogue screens.

[@dmarsub]

1:30 this study seems so horrible. I bet the button on the screen didn't even look like the real button. But even if it looked identical, this still says nothing about screens at all.

[@AndreiTache]

Exactly what I was thinking! Pushing a button on a screen is a completley different action than pushing a button irl. They should’ve shown the babies a video of someone pushing the real button and see if they could deduce from the video how to push the button irl...

[@minecraftminertime]

I don't believe you because you didn't say why the study was horrible. You only said that it was wrong. The point of the study was to show that children can't translate actions in virtual spaces to the real world and vice versa. There are many more studies of children learning in virtual environments.

[@minecraftminertime]

Random Person that was the point of the study. To show that the action of things in virtual screens are too different than in real life for children to do those actions both on a screen and in real life.

[@dmarsub]

MischievousMoo Yes but the point is that these 2 actions *are* allready fundamentally different. There is no use for a child to connect two very different actions. But that doesn't meant that there is no transfer between screens and real life. If they show a video of someone doing something on the screen and they can't replicate it in real life, only that would support this studies thesis.

[@interface5389]

Your the voice of reason

[@XiaosChannel]

umm but pressing a button includes tapping so the condition seems unfair -- is the real button tapped or pressed?

[@NewMessage]

Everything I've learned from the screen as a kid have translated perfectly into reality. Now if you'll excuse me, I have one dollar left to my name, and a house full of hungry kids.. so I'm gonna throw it in the wishing well and wait for the money to start rolling in.

[@interface5389]

Ha.

[@rubymonter]

the profile pic ;-;

[@marymimi11]

I wonder how much confirmation bais is in these studies though. My own bais is in favor of tech, so I'm a little defensive about it. But I wouldn't be surprise if some of these researchers found the data that supported their preconceptions?

[@JLogg444]

I think it’s a given that kids under 2 years old shouldn’t watch TV and kids under 4th grade shouldn’t have phones or iPads type of thing but after a certain age like 13 or so I think it’s good to give them some freedom with technology and especially let them get used to how to use it. Very important for modern society

[@ilikemusic2773]

Xenon Rising if only people would stick to this..

[@minecraftminertime]

I think that technology is good to have at a younger age than 13, like the age of 8-10. Although learning only with technology while 5 years old or less isn't good for development, kids should still get in contact with technology at a young age, around 8-10 years old because they need to know that it exists and how it works.

[@Whiteboy-lp5dr]

I think it might be important in this climate to have a video about correlation between violent video games and violence in children and teens.

[@DavidAllen-px7gr]

I remember, when I was 6 or fewer years old, I played quite a few online games, and in time, tried to figure out how to glitch them... Seems pretty logical to assume, then, that I'd go into a video game field of some sort. I plan to, but don't have much skill or practice.

[@AndreiTache]

If you’re planing on going into game design I’d strongly recommend watching Extra Credits! I’m also trying to get into game design and their videos have been monumental in helping me. As for practice, you should try making some games in game engine like Unity. It’s free, widley used even by a lot of profesionals and there are mountains of free tutorials for it on KZbin. If coding is proving too dificult, you can try Construct 2 or Game Maker. They’re visual programing tools (like Scratch if you ever used it, only much more powerfull). Game Maker also allows you to program in text, making a transition from it in the future a bit smoother, but I’ve only used Construct 2, so I can only vouch for that one. Good luck!

[@minecraftminertime]

You actually probably have a lot of practice and skill in video games. If you played video games a lot, you practiced video games. If you are good at video games, that's skill.

[@DavidAllen-px7gr]

I do plan to use Unity to make my early games, and the skill and practice I lack is in MAKING them, not necessarily playing them.

[@bapuyu]

Technology is really young compared to our thousands of years of being human. It's a great asset to our lives, but nothing comes without negatives, and it's important to understand them so we know how to use it enrich our lives without going over the edge.

[@SurrealKangaroo12]

What I don’t like is seeing kids, toddlers even, playing on phones and tablets constantly. I think it’s important for kids to learn how to interact with other people.

[@BioButje]

no smartphones for kids, 18+ on all devices

[@juliaprohaska9295]

Yay Nerdfighteria!! 3:35

[@leonie9466]

My little sister got screen-time at the age of 2. I was totally against it because she won’t learn new IMPORTANT things, like don’t eat everything. My Parents on the other side are just saying “it’s the generation”. But this doesn’t mean kids HAVE to use technology. I am really into botany and my sister actually don’t like it to use technology, she want to go out and play. But I don’t have much time and my parents want “freetime” (with their smartphones) without kids. Which is sad, I am older I can do whatever I want but younger kids don’t...

[@LittleRadicalThinker]

About the bottom experiment, I believe the kids learn to push the screen rather than push the bottom in the virtual part.

[@Dinoguy46]

I’ve heard stories from my mother (who is a preschool teacher) of kids who think a blackboard is a touch screen or can’t comprehend the turning pages of a book because parents have been using the screen as a babysitting device from a young age. There’s nothing wrong with using the screen *in moderation* when kids are very young.

[@McHaven07]

The world seems to swing on a pendulum. Right now, we're swinging toward the technological extreme; it'll swing towards anti-tech soon enough, and then settle somewhere in the middle.

[@Sitwayen]

From what i can read here, more people have seen positive outcomes from using tech than not.

[@IceMetalPunk]

It sounds like one key here is that kids don't understand symbolism as well as adults. With the button experiment, they don't understand that the circle on the screen *represents* a button in physical space. Adults do, probably because we have experience with both types of objects.

[@totinospizzarolls4737]

I've seen so many kids (less than 8) constantly glued to their tablets or phone. If you take away the device, their reaction could range from nothing, or all the way to crying, screaming, and just freaking out.

[@theMoporter]

Totino's Pizza Rolls So? That's what kids do with just about anything. I had the same reaction when my parents took books or my (extremely outdated) cassette player away.

[@BankruptMonkey]

To be fair young children are prone to tantrums when you take any type of toy away from them

[@minecraftminertime]

Many kids don't want their devices taken away from them. Some kids are becoming addicted to these devices.

[@erinisler1255]

It's because they are literally addicted to it like a junkie on drugs its so bad.

[@interface5389]

It's really not that bad a tablet for a kid is like several toys rolled in one that's why they spend more time on it

[@elliettemaloney7659]

I think that our generation will be more relaxed about our kids using technology. Parents are more strict about technology most likely are afraid. Internet, cellphones and other smart devices are all things they didn’t have when growing up and it hasn’t been around for a long time. Idk, just a thought

[@roripantsu]

How much of this would account that retaining information is better from a physical object ring true though? When there are two two types of mediums I feel I do better on a physical one (like reading text on paper is better than on a screen) and I'd replace any digital form over it, unfortunately with the convenience of accessibility in digital forms it's just not feasible to always have the physical ones.

[@MeisterHaar]

well two things first i find it problematic that all forms of technology and screentime are mixed together. second i would like to add that the correlation of people using technology and ill-beeing could easily be the other way round. this could also be passed on to children by their parents. if they are stressed and not well and use the computer as a coping device they are probably more likely to unwillingly teach that to their children.

[@TesiKiks_NewGame]

As and adolescents or adult Is there also problems than can accrue ? For example: insomniacs...I'm 16 years old...and...I fall asleep on my phone...is there anything that can harm me will sleeping ?

[@TesiKiks_NewGame]

More likely...people think it's bad and all (technology)...but...before it was the same too....like for the invention of electricity...people also freak out...now...we don't care as mucj

[@novenadragon]

What is the psychology and neurology of confusion?

[@someperson5506]

It's possible screen time causes psychological problems in teens, but it's also possible teens who already have psychological problems and find it harder to make friends and/or leave the house are more likely to spend more time on a screen.

[@thefifthhour45]

When I was a few years old, there were only two screens in my house.

[@user-dx8nj7qj2g]

so wait did this study use a flat 2d button thats a different colour like in the video or did it use a 3d button the same colour so it looks more real

[@cassieoz1702]

Read Teen Brain by David Gillespie. Exposure to engineered-to-be-addictive screen games and social media during adolescence, can leave you more vulnerable to depression and anxiety, and addictions later in life. There's a reason the high flying silicon valley types don't let their kids have phones and tablets

[@thatgirlray2765]

When I have a kid I wouldn't give it to them 24/7 but I would give it to them sometimes

[@friggin149]

i bet parents say their kids are more "ill" behaved because now they're doing it in the livingroom instead of on the street where you don't see it.

[@EnvAdam]

0:28 - ehm... Guilty...

[@daverapp]

Giving your kid a screen teaches them how screens work. Not giving your kid a screen teaches them to be a computer-illiterate target for a Nigerian prince.

[@michrain5872]

My youngest nephews and nieces are WAY dumber than the two preceding generations. It's an empirical fact for me. Why? Because their parents gave these poor kids tablets BEFORE the kids were even able to articulate their first word. Let's face this: phones and tablets are the new instrument of lazy, half-assed parenting. It sickens me to see that much potential going down the drain. These kids have no wits, no coordination, no interpersonal skills; everything one should learn before turning 10, these poor kids will have to live without. It's really sad.

[@KXSocialChannel]

The conclusion I draw is that young children are able to distinguish between screens and other objects. This is a positive, not a negative.

[@oldcowbb]

screen time under 2 is pretty messed up

[@brandin7294]

I got here from the phone addiction video. Congrats, you got me. 😉

[@firstcynic92]

Same people said too much TV was bad in the 50s-80s. This isn't new.

[@awkszoo]

You talk about teens and children and the correlation between increased screen time and ill wellbeing, does the study consider why there was increased screen time? Like are the parents absent or emotionally neglectful? Are the kids already dealing with ill wellbeing and using technology as an escape?

[@agialbanian]

My hypothesis leads me to think baby's can't properly see at that age, or fully understand the sensory input from their new organs. Maybe they just focus on the general shape of objects and not there fine details. It could be imagined that baby's first formed memories are of , well.. , blurry objects ahah aka mom,dad, and Dr steveee

[@wildpearrunning1408]

Watching this as a kid

[@emperorSbraz]

there could also be good things though. i mean... often the hard part is teach them to NOT PRESS THAT BUTTON. :D

[@sangramkorgaonkar5520]

was waiting for the screen-time joke XD

[@shimonkarpesh22]

And then, there are programmers.

[@_vire24]

is increased screen time a causing factor for poor mental health OR does poor mental health lead to more screen time?

[@angeldude101]

TLDR: It's the same as everything else for children and adults: In Moderation.

[@feynstein1004]

VR FTW :)

[@watvid1]

I believe that. No screen time for under 2 otherwise they seem to become braindead

[@Alkerae]

No, nonono, that first example was so bad, so unbelievably bad, like, nobody bothered to ask themselves "what ELSE could this be proof of?" oh I don't know, maybe that real life buttons, and virtual buttons, are not the same thing? Pick up a banana, and then give a baby a picture of an apple and see if they pick it up, and then draw conclusions from this exercise... somehow.

[@RyanMcLeanau]

Seems like hat study failed to take into account that fact that a virtual button is a metaphorical representation of something in the real world. So thus real world translated over to virtual better than the other way. But what about teaching kids something where they already knew the real world representation but didn’t know how to do it? Seems like a dumb study

[@Mountain-Man-3000]

Yes.

[@NaihanchinKempo]

cellphone Neck is a thing now

[@LoudlyListening]

Correlation doesn't equal causation

[@SquintyGears]

So the demonstration means we should put our kids in front of screens as much as possible because they will work in front of one for the rest of their life... So better give them a headstart

[@Azrage]

Moderating screen time... wonder what thats like

[@5Elric]

But, what about videogames? I used to think that I prefer the idea of my kid playing videogames and learning English, Coordination, Grammar structure, some kinesthetical abilities, and maybe nothing more, I don't know. But a tablet for a 7 year old kid just seems pretty useless to me.

[@jessicam3555]

I use a chromebook in 7 classes (excluding gym) everyday for ~30 minutes per class. And l use it for homework for ~4 hours everyday. So that’s ~7 hours per day that’s unavoidable. I also use my phone for communication and my break/free time. So add ~2 hours. So now that’s 9 hours per day. I don’t want to be spending that much time on screens, but l can’t control it. Our school got chrome books this year, and l think it’s more of a set back than an improvement, because it isn’t healthy to be looking at screens this often.

[@akankshaandadityasingh9888]

So am i supposed to limit my screen time and not watch scishow, scishow psych, vlogbrothers, scishow space and crash course? ...... sad........because i may have psychological and behavioural issues

[@minecraftminertime]

If you're not under the age of 5, you probably won't be developmentally impacted very much by watching SciShow. Children under the age of 5 watching SciShow probably can't understand SciShow, anyway.

[@rushilakkal3696]

Love this

[@CJBurkey]

That title implies that they are in fact not bad...

[@danielisozaki8522]

Nerdfighters

[@sourcedrop7624]

Here's the solution: balance in all things. There you go. Play video games and watch cartoons then go out and play basketball and romp thru the woods.